DIRECTOR of rugby Gary Gold could leave Worcester Warriors before the summer dependent on the progress of his successor.

Gold will take the USA job when his contract expires in May and has been given permission by chairman Bill Bolsover to undertake international duties in January.

Bolsover confirmed the hunt for a new man had started and targeted an appointment by the turn of the year.

And with the board seeking much-needed stability during sale negotiations, the Sixways chief admitted Gold’s future would be decided by the man who replaces him.

“Depending how quickly things happen and how the new man blends in, I think it would be the sensible thing to do,” said Bolsover when asked whether Gold could go early.

“He (Gold) would be happy to do it and we would be happy to do it but at the moment, we’re planning on getting the right processes in because we’re running a sale as well as recruiting for a director of rugby and getting contracts signed for players.

“We have to get all of these things bedded in together.”

“We have been approached because people knew when his contract would be up,” added Bolsover.

“We have one or two people already who are asking about opportunities but we’ll take our time to make sure we get someone who will blend in with the club.”

Bolsover conceded Gold’s exit would have an inevitable consequences when it came to contracts and recruitment but insisted the club would act quickly to head off any problems.

“It would be wrong to say it does not affect things at all,” he said.

“Speaking to some of the players, some of whom will be looking at whether they’re going to renew with Worcester, it is important to give them continuity and to know where we’re going by the end of the year in my view.”

On the crossover with Gold’s new role, Bolsover said: “We could have stood up and said ‘no, you’re working here until May and you cannot take the job’ but we said he could this role.

“It will mean in January he will be with the USA and I have agreed he can do that.”

The chairman finished with a plea to fans to keep faith in the board’s ability to answer Worcester’s list of quandaries.

“What the fans realise and hopefully understand is that we’re talking about shareholders who have put in £16million over the past few years,” he said.

“They haven’t taken anything out of it and they have invested it for the fans. They have to rest assured that the board is doing its utmost to see where we can take Worcester in the next two or three years.”